As I Lay Dying’s Tim Lambesis Pleads Not Guilty In Murder-For-Hire Plot

During his arraignment hearing Thursday (May 9), As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis pleaded not guilty to a charge of solicitation of murder, after authorities claimed he tried to hire an undercover detective to kill his estranged wife. His bail was set at $3 million.

Lambesis was arrested Tuesday
by the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, when law enforcement officials say they learned of his alleged involvement in the murder-for-hire plot.

According to San Diego’s CBS 8 News, prosecutors in the case initially asked that Lambesis’ bail be set at $20 million, saying the singer was both a flight risk and a danger to the public. The alleged target of the plot, Lambesis’ wife Meggan
, told the judge she feared for her life and was unsure if there were additional hits put out on her.

Lambesis’ attorney disputed those claims, saying his client did not intend to harm anyone and calling the case the result of a “scumbag snitch setup.”

Prosecutors said Lambesis gave an undercover detective cash to pay for the hit, as well as photos of his wife, gate codes to her residence and dates of when he wanted her to be killed. They added that he even told the detective to kill Meggan while he was with their adopted children, so he could have an alibi.

Lambesis wore a blue prison jumpsuit to the hearing. His As I Lay Dying bandmates, who sent their thoughts to Lambesis in a statement
released Wednesday night, were present in the courtroom. “Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation — and with our fans, whom we love and draw strength from,” their statement read.